


Only One of Us Has Forever

by SingingInTheRaiin



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Growing Old, Human Rose, Not A Happy Ending, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 08:01:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingingInTheRaiin/pseuds/SingingInTheRaiin
Summary: Rose promised to spend her forever with the Doctor, and she kept her word, but unfortunately her forever is not very long at all to the Doctor.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Only One of Us Has Forever

**Author's Note:**

> idk i was just in the mood for writing something that didn't have a happy ending

_“How long are you going to stay with me?”_

_“Forever.”_  
,,,

The Doctor had once told Rose that it wasn’t fair that she could spend her forever with him, but he couldn’t spend his forever with her. It was something they both tried to forget about over the years, both preferring to spend their time running and holding hands and laughing and showing each other all the parts of the universe that they never could have imagined on their own.

But eventually it got to a point where the differences between them became more and more obvious. Rose stayed in good shape, but she began to run slower and slower, until the Doctor was afraid to take her anywhere that would require them to run. 

And it became more painful for them to hold hands, as Rose’s fingers grew spindly and stiff. It was so very tempting some days for the Doctor to find one of the best nursing homes in the universe and just drop Rose off there so that he wouldn’t have to watch her fade away, just as he’d always feared that he’d have to. But in the end he could never do that to her, not even when she stopped being able to eat her favorite chips because she had trouble chewing.

One thing that never changed, though, was the sound of Rose’s laughter. No matter what, when she found a reason to laugh, she sounded like a young woman again, and the Doctor was reminded of the many incredible adventures they had been on together. He sneakily recorded the sound of her laughter, and knew that it would get him through dark days in the future, when Rose could no longer be there for him in person.

The Doctor read to Rose at night, his voice soothing her to sleep as he read about everything from grand tales of high fantasy to biographies of generals from 33rd century Frioujn. Sometimes he would make up words partway through just to hear Rose laugh at him and call him a daft alien, and other times he couldn’t wait for her to fall asleep so that she would look at peace instead of like she was suffering.

The Doctor took care of Rose in part because he owed her after how many times she had saved him, both physically and otherwise. But also because he loved her, even if he’d always been too afraid to say the words out loud. What would have been the point, when he knew that her entire life was just a small fraction of his? Saying the words wouldn’t keep her alive, wouldn’t stop him from being alone again.

When the Doctor received an emergency call from one of his old friends, he felt a guilty sense of relief at the idea of being able to go off and do something like he used to, just adventuring and saving lives and being a doctor to heal the hurts of the universe. He gave Rose a kiss on the forehead, and felt the TARDIS’ promise to watch over her favorite companion. 

Saving a world wasn’t as fun, though, when he had to do it by himself, and he remembered why he’d mostly stayed confined to the TARDIS once Rose stopped being able to go out with him. He rushed back to his ship before he could even be thanked for his role in everything, and immediately knew something was wrong. 

The doors to the TARDIS flew open without prompting as he neared, and there was a mauve light flashing inside. The Doctor followed the lights to his and Rose’s room, and found her wheezing loudly as she struggled to breath, the machines hooked up to her all beeping like crazy. The Doctor sucked in a sharp gasp before sitting down next to the bed, and he reached out to hold Rose’s hand.

The Doctor closed his eyes and slipped into Rose’s mind with ease, and found himself standing in the TARDIS. Rose was leaning up against the console, looking no older than thirty, and she had a big grin on her face. “It’s about time you got here, Doctor. It’s time for the next adventure!”

The Doctor slowly walked over to her, and even though he knew that it was just Rose’s dream, he wished that he could just stay there in that moment forever. He reached out to take Rose’s hand, and it fit perfectly in his, the way that it always had. “Sorry, you know me, always showing up slightly late. Where are we going?”

Rose pulled on his hand to tug him over to the doors of the TARDIS. “I’m not sure, but I can’t wait to find out. What do you want to bet that there’s going to be danger and trouble involved?”

“Oh, that’s no bet at all. There’s always danger and trouble involved when it comes to us. You’re jeopardy friendly, remember?”

Rose laughed, and the Doctor almost wept at that beautiful noise that he hadn’t heard recently enough. “That’s enough of that now, mister. You’re just as jeopardy friendly as I am, and there’s no use denying it. Now come on! Let’s see what’s waiting for us!”

They stepped outside, and the Doctor gasped. It was supposed to be Rose’s dream, but he found himself staring at a familiar field of flowers on Gallifrey, something Rose could not possibly imagine in such picture perfect detail. It was a warm, sunny day, and Rose laughed before she flopped down into the grass, flowers tickling against her skin as she stared up at the clouds, and then she patted the spot next to her so that the Doctor would lie down as well. 

They both lay there in peace for a little while, hands resting gently on top of each other. “It’s beautiful here, Doctor. This is really your home?”

He nodded, and turned his head to look at Rose’s youthful face. “It is beautiful but it’s not- not my home. You are my home, Rose.”

Rose gave him that signature brilliant grin of hers and then rolled her head to look up at the sky again. “I love you, Doctor.”

He wanted to say the words, but they got caught in his throat, and he was content to just lie there with Rose in a field on Gallifrey full of her namesake. He lost track of time despite being a Time Lord, and when he eventually opened his eyes again, the machines around him had gone silent, and Rose had gone entirely still. Her eyes were closed, and she looked to be truly at peace for the first time in years.


End file.
